Do you wonder what the best healthcare companies do to invest in the skills and career development of their frontline workers?

If so, CareerSTAT is where you should inquire. CareerSTAT is a network of almost 200 healthcare and workforce leaders. CareerSTAT promotes investment in the skills and careers of frontline healthcare workers by supporting organizations with workforce development programs. CareerSTAT’s goal is to increase business impact, improve health outcomes, and support good jobs in America’s health companies.

Catalyst Learning is honored to announce four of our customers which received 2017 CareerSTAT Frontline Health Care Worker Champions or Emerging Champions recognition in 2017. Catalyst Learning also wants to showcase our four customer winners from 2015. See how these best practice healthcare organizations used School at Work (SAW) and other Catalyst Learning products as an integral component of their workforce development strategy.

2017 Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions and Emerging Champions

Mercy Health (Missouri) - Frontline employee development and improving compensation of employees is at the core of Mercy's business strategy. Mercy uses its Lowest Paid Worker Committee and senior leader involvement to develop strategies that improve wages and career opportunity. Mercy uses School at Work® (SAW) to give frontline workers the opportunity to brush up on basic skills and more advanced healthcare knowledge, with intent to move its lowest paid workers into more advanced clinical and support roles. Mercy offers tuition advancement programs, affordable transportation, medical premium assistance, affordable child care, on-site clinic, and other financial incentives.

University Health System (Texas) - Celebrating 100 years of service to the community in 2017, University Health System has been regularly named best hospital in the San Antonio region and the sixth best in Texas by U.S. News & World Report. It believes in growing its own employees and preparing them for larger roles. University Health System implements an inclusive hiring policy and is committed to equitable talent development. It offers trainings to its frontline staff, including ECHO (Expanding your Career and Health Opportunity) and SAW by Catalyst Learning. At University Health System, the CEO even hosts a party celebrating the graduates of SAW and posts success stories on the intranet and in the company

newsletter.

Yale New Haven Hospital (Connecticut) - Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) offers a wide range of career development services to its frontline workers. Some of these services include one-on-one career counseling, resume assistance, a direct tuition payment program (known as the Tuition Loan Forgiveness program), college fairs and access to internet based online, career-development tools. YNHH offers SAW, which gives frontline workers the chance to learn, or relearn, a variety of skills that prepare them for new roles. The majority of SAW graduates at YNHH have continued their education to earn an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree. The business impact to YNHH’s efforts is shown in improved patient experience and achieving quality and safety goals.

U.C. Davis Health (California) - UC Davis Health is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals, chosen for Consumer Choice Awards, and is a top community employer. UC Davis Health is proud of its sustained investment in its frontline workers, and was the first SAW customer on the West Coast! In addition to its nine SAW cohorts, UC-Davis Health has implemented CAPS (Accelerated Performance Series) for its Administrative Assistants Academy since 2014.

2015 Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions and Emerging Champions

TriHealth (Ohio) - TriHealth partners with the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati (HCC) to provide greater access to learning and foster advancement for entry-level employees. HCC is a partnership of local healthcare employers, community-based organizations, and educators. HCC programs include School at Work, CareerCare, and tuition cost for Patient Care Assistant Training. TriHealth did a large ROI study which showed how retention costs and job satisfaction were greatly improved by SAW and by being an HCC cohort participant.

Norton Healthcare (Kentucky) - Norton has built a culture of continual, lifelong learning. Norton Healthcare’s Office of Workforce Development serves as the primary career and financial support mechanism for frontline employees. In 2013, the office supported 550 frontline employees working toward degrees and certifications in health-related fields. SAW is one of the many programs Norton uses to advance frontline employees. Norton boasts high marks in ROI for frontline employees who earn higher certificates, diplomas, or degrees.

LifeBridge Health (Maryland) - LifeBridge Health has won acclaim as a Baltimore Regional Employer for its Workforce Development program. Its Workforce Development program was also a factor in winning the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Baltimore Best Place to Work Awards and making Fortune’s 100 “Best Companies to Work For” list in 2010. SAW is a part of LifeBridge Health’s workforce development program.

UnityPoint Health (Iowa) - UnityPoint Health has created a culture of advancement and development while providing quality care to their patients for more than 100 years. It has on-site and employee-centered training, such as SAW. UnityPoint Health has mentoring, diverse training programs, and success in growing their workforce’s wages. Working with the National Fund collaborative, Central Iowa Works, UnityPoint provides training for key industry certificates through its Workforce Training Academy, managerial development through its Breakthrough to Leadership program, and career coaching through its in-house Retention Specialist.

With inpatient, outpatient, home health and palliative care services, Mercy Health Youngstown is the largest employer in the Mahoning Valley region of Ohio. Investments in employee development, therefore, have a positive impact on both the health system and on the community at large, making this a top priority for senior leadership.

Mercy Health Youngstown has expanded access to skills and leadership training for entry-level workers with education programs, college tuition reimbursement and opportunities for career advancement. Entry-level employees with leadership potential, for example, are encouraged to enroll in School At Work (SAW), a training and career development program created by Catalyst Learning Company.

SAW participants complete a series of modules led by a Learning Coach in the Culture and Learning Department at Mercy Health Youngstown. The Principles of Patient Satisfaction and Safety module has proved to be especially valuable.

“We found the Patient Satisfaction course very useful because entry-level employees didn’t realize how the little things they do affect patients and patient satisfaction. Sometimes patients arrive at the hospital frustrated and hard to please, so this particular course made a big difference,” said Learning Coach Georgette Peters. “This course also showed entry-level employees the importance of their work and its impact on HCAHPS reimbursements.”

To demonstrate program value and return on investment, Mercy Health measures impact and tracks aggregate success among SAW participants. Of the 35 students who graduated from SAW last year (20 from Mercy Health Youngstown and 15 from Mercy Health Cincinnati), nine are now enrolled in higher education and pursuing further training to move up within the organization.

SAW graduate Janet Johnson found similar success. She started in an entry-level position at a Mercy affiliate hospital in 2009. With a grant from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, she trained to be an entry-level healthcare associate. This resulted in a promotion to Environmental Services, where managers recognized her leadership potential and recommended Janet for SAW. She completed SAW and is now enrolled at Penn State, pursuing a career as an occupational medicine assistant at Mercy Health Youngstown.

Mercy Health is proud to see employees like Janet advance.

“When speaking with our employees who complete the SAW program, I always thank them for bringing me along on their journey. I hope to assist in lighting the flame, and I hope the students keep it burning,” said Peters.

Mercy Health Youngstown plans to continue offering SAW courses and hopes to expand the curriculum to smaller regional partner facilities. Additionally, senior leaders hope that by offering upfront college tuition reimbursement, they can help employees overcome barriers to advancing their education, particularly those who earn the lowest wages.

The health system aims to enroll up to 45 percent of their employees in skills training programs and help more employees pursue advanced educational opportunities. As employees succeed and move up within the organization, senior leaders are seeing morale and retention rates improve, resulting in better patient care. Mercy Health Youngstown believes that employees are their most valuable resource, and by investing in them they hope to make lives better and the community stronger.